Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG) has decided to accelerate the expansion of its container terminal at Maasvlakte 2, in the Port of Rotterdam, with an estimated investment of 500 million euros to execute the final phase of its development. The project includes the construction of a fourth berth for the largest container ships, new automated equipment, and the increase of storage capacity.
The operation is carried out in coordination with RWG shareholders, DP World, CMA CGM, Ocean Network Express (ONE), and HMM, and will allow the full use of all the dock capacity assigned to the terminal by the Port Authority of Rotterdam.
The incorporation of the fourth berth will complete the planned configuration for maritime operations of the facility. To address this new capacity, RWG will acquire five new berth cranes and will enable eleven additional storage modules, equipped with a total of 22 automated stacking cranes.
The terminal will also incorporate 24 automated guided vehicles (AGVs) for the transportation of containers within its facilities. Automation is one of the main components of this last phase, along with the electrification of the equipment used in operations.
RWG will also study the possible implementation of a BoxBay system intended for the storage of empty containers, with an estimated capacity of 30,000 TEUs. This system uses a vertical storage structure that allows for individual access to containers and reduces the movements needed compared to conventional stacking systems.
The project also includes an increase in the electrical load capacity for the terminal’s machinery, as well as the expansion of office spaces and facilities dedicated to maintenance. The capacity of access gates and areas dedicated to the storage of non-standard loads will also be increased.
The investment corresponding to this phase is around 500 million euros and will be partially financed by the entities that are already participating as lenders of the project. With this action, the accumulated investment in the development of Rotterdam World Gateway will reach approximately 2 billion euros.
The construction of the fourth berth will take place in phases within the currently operational terminal and will run parallel to the works for the third berth. This previous expansion was announced in 2023, and RWG expects to put it into commercial service by 2027.
Once the contracts related to the last phase are signed, the company will continue with the necessary civil engineering works to prepare the development of the new surfaces and equipment. The forecast is that the additional capacity associated with the fourth berth will enter commercial operation before 2030.
When all actions are completed, RWG will have four berthsdeep-seaprepared to serve the largest container ships and will achieve a total storage capacity close to five million TEUs.
The expansion is part of the progressive development of the terminal since its establishment at Maasvlakte 2, the extension of the Port of Rotterdam built on land reclaimed from the sea and designed to concentrate part of the large-scale container operations at the Dutch enclave.
RWG has oriented its operating model toward a high degree of automation. The incorporation of new automated stacking cranes and AGVs will extend this system to the new areas of the terminal, while the increase in electrical recharging infrastructure will support the growth of the fleet of electric equipment.
The CEO and chairman of the board of RWG, Ronald Lugthart, has positioned this action as the final phase of the originally planned design for the terminal. As he explained, the project will allow completing the development initiated at Maasvlakte 2 and adapting the facility to the future needs of maritime traffic and logistics chains.
Lugthart has also linked the expansion to Rotterdam’s position as the gateway for goods to the European market and the need for sufficient port capacity to meet the evolution of the traffic of shareholders and shipping alliances that use the facility.
The shareholding structure of RWG directly connects the terminal with some of the leading global maritime transport and terminal operators. DP World participates in the project alongside shipping companies CMA CGM, ONE, and HMM, a configuration that connects the capacity planning of the facility with the maritime services of its shareholders.
The commissioning of the third berth in 2027 will be the next step in the program currently underway. Subsequently, the works associated with the fourth berth will complete the utilization of the dock line granted to RWG at Maasvlakte 2.
The schedule sets the operational entry of all the additional capacity planned in this last phase before 2030. Until then, the works will be carried out within an operational terminal, with the progressive incorporation of infrastructure, automated equipment, and new storage areas.